Effect of maturational timing on bone health in male adolescent athletes engaged in different sports: The PRO-BONE study

Objectives

To describe differences in bone outcomes according to biological age in male athletes participating in osteogenic (OS) or non-osteogenic (NOS) sports.

2009～2013年鞍山地区农村妇女宫颈癌检查结果分析

目的了解鞍山市35~64岁农村妇女宫颈癌及癌前病变发病情况,及其相关性研究。方法采用传统的宫颈刮片TBS分级报告法对75 262例农村妇女进行宫颈疾病筛查。结果其中,阴性(NSIL)70994例,细胞学异常4 268例,其中进行阴道镜检查的2 507例,宫颈癌前病变86例。病理诊断宫颈癌13例,检出率1.73/万。结论积极对农村妇女进行普遍性宫颈癌筛查能提早发现宫颈癌前病变、宫颈癌病患。采用传统宫颈刮片TBS分类法检查无痛苦、损伤小、简便易行,可作为群体性宫颈癌普查的首选。     

Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Predictors of Vertebral Deformities in Beta-Thalassemia Major

Vertebral fractures in beta-thalassemia major are increasingly found because of the longer life expectancy of patients, with a major negative impact on their quality of life. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence of vertebral deformities in thalassemic patients and to identify their best dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) predictor among trabecular bone score (TBS), bone mineral density (BMD), and Z-score. Eighty-two outpatients with beta-thalassemia major on regular conventional treatment were studied at a single academic center. All patients underwent plain thoracic-lumbar spine X-rays and lumbar DXA to assess the number and the severity of vertebral deformities (Genant's method), the spinal deformity index, lumbar spine DXA parameters (BMD, TBS, and Z-score), and the presence of platyspondyly. Twenty-nine patients (35%) had vertebral deformities and showed significantly lower TBSs than the remainders (1.141?±?0.083 vs 1.254?±?0.072, p?<?0.0001). The analysis of variance of the TBS between the group of patients without vertebral deformities (spinal deformity index?=?0) and the remaining groups showed a significant difference (p?<?0.001). The TBS had better sensitivity (86.2%), specificity (75.5%), and diagnostic accuracy (79.3%) than BMD and Z-score in discriminating patients with and without vertebral deformities. Combining the TBS with the BMD or the Z-score showed that the diagnostic accuracy of the first in discriminating patients with and without vertebral deformities improved from 79.3% to 85.4% and 87.8%, respectively. The presence of platyspondyly was a significant predictor of vertebral deformities in the multivariate model. Vertebral deformities in well-treated patients with beta-thalassemia major are common and are often unrecognized. In our hands, the TBS was better than the BMD and the Z-score in predicting vertebral deformities. Plain X-rays of the spine should be performed also in asymptomatic patients, especially when the TBS is low.     

IgE-mediated allergic responses associated to Ailanthus altissima pollen using an animal model

Background

Murine models have been widely used in the study of allergy as sensitized mice can produce IgE and/or IgG1in response after the injection of an antigen/adjuvant combination. Ailanthus altissima pollen (AAP) has been recently reported as an emerging aeroallergen in Iran. So far, several AAP candidate allergens by the screening of allergen-specific IgE in the sera from AAP sensitized patients in Iran.

Nrf2/ARE is the potential pathway to protect Sprague–Dawley rats against oxidative stress induced by quinocetone

3-methyl-2-quinoxalin benzenevinylketo-1, 4-dioxide (Quinocetone, QCT) is a newly used veterinary drug which has been proven to promote feed efficiency and growth of animals; however, its potential toxicity can’t be ignored. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate the nephrotoxicity of QCT and the oxidative stress induced by it. Sprague–Dawley rats (SD rats) were randomly divided into four groups with doses of 2400, 800, 50 and 0 mg/kg/day with administration of QCT for 4 weeks. Results proved that QCT could induce nephrotoxicity and this phenomenon had dose dependent manner. Simultaneously, this phenomenon was accompanied by intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, enhanced lipid peroxidation and inhibited antioxidant system, i.e. glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GSH). Additionally, the higher expression of Nrf2 in QCT treated groups illustrated that QCT-induced oxidative stress would be partly mitigated by the induction of phase II detoxifying enzymes via increasing Nrf2 expression.     

Cadmium-induced apoptosis is mediated by the translocation of AIF to the nucleus in rat testes

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic metal that affects a variety of cellular events, such as cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Cd generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that induce apoptosis. We previously demonstrated that Cd induces apoptosis in testicular germ cells and that apoptosis was prevented by the administration of ascorbic acid (AA), an ROS scavenger. However, little is known about the signaling pathways underlying Cd-induced apoptosis in rat testes. Here, we report that Cd-induced apoptosis in rat testes was associated with the translocation of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to the nucleus, and that this was prevented by treatment with AA. Cd-induced cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1), and this was also inhibited by treatment with AA. Taken together, these results suggest that Cd-induced ROS was responsible for the upregulation of PARP-1, the translocation of AIF to the nucleus, and apoptosis of testicular cells in rat testes.     

Interactions of deoxynivalenol and lipopolysaccharides on cytotoxicity protein synthesis and metabolism of DON in porcine hepatocytes and Kupffer cell enriched hepatocyte cultures

The cytotoxicity of deoxynivalenol (DON), effects on protein synthesis and albumin secretion was investigated in porcine hepatocytes and Kupffer cell-enriched hepatocyte cultures (co-cultures) in the presence and absence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS).     

Beneficial effects of sodium or ethyl pyruvate after traumatic brain injury in the rat

Sodium pyruvate (SP) treatment initiated within 5 min post-injury is neuroprotective in a rat model of unilateral cortical contusion injury (CCI). The current studies examined: (1) effects of delayed SP treatments (1000 mg/kg, i.p., at 1, 12 and 24 h), (2) effects of single (1 h) or multiple (1, 12 and 24 h) ethyl pyruvate treatments (EP; at 20 or 40 mg/kg, i.p.), and (3) mechanisms of action for pyruvate effects after CCI. In Experiment 1, both SP and EP treatment(s) significantly reduced the number of dead/dying cells in the ipsilateral hippocampus (dentate hilus + CA3_c and/or CA3_a-b regions) at 72 h post-CCI. Pyruvate treatment(s) attenuated CCI-induced reductions of cerebral cytochrome oxidase activity at 72 h, significantly improving activity in peri-contusional cortex after multiple SP or EP treatments. Optical density measures of ipsilateral CD11b immuno-staining were significantly increased 72 h post-CCI, but these measures of microglia activation were not different from sham injury values in SP and EP groups with three post-CCI treatments. In Experiment 2, three treatments (1, 12 and 24 h) of SP (1000 mg/kg) or EP (40 mg/kg) significantly improved recovery of beam-walking and neurological scores in the first 3 weeks after CCI, and EP treatments significantly improved spatial working memory 1 week post-CCI. Ipsilateral CA3_b neuronal loss, but not cortical tissue loss, was significantly reduced 1 month post-CCI with pyruvate treatments begun 1 h post-CCI. Thus, delayed pyruvate treatments after CCI are neuroprotective and improve neurobehavioral recovery; these effects may be mediated by improved metabolism and reduced inflammation.     

Low level of factor V is associated with development of deep-vein thrombosis in Japanese patients

Background

Factor V, having two functions (procoagulant and anticoagulant), is a key factor in blood coagulation, and low plasma levels of factor V may be a risk factor for thrombosis.

Objective

The levels of plasma factor V antigen (FV:Ag), and the phospholipid binding capability of Factor V (FV:PL-bound) were evaluated in patients with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).

Methods

Levels of FV:Ag, and FV:PL-bound were expressed as a percentage of the normal level found in pooled plasma from control subjects. One hundred and twenty-three Japanese patients with deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) were included, with 100 age and sex-matched healthy control subjects.

Results

The FV:Ag, and FV:PL-bound values were significantly lower in DVT patients than in healthy subjects (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005, respectively). Among the 123 patients, 30 for FV:Ag (24.4%), and 32 for FV:PL (26%) had less than the arbitrary cutoff point (set at the 5th percentile of the value for FV:Ag and FV:PL-bound from healthy subjects), and the odds ratios (ORs) were 6.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-16.5) and 6.7 (95%CI, 2.5-17.9), respectively. When patients with a deficiency of natural anticoagulants (antithrombin, protein C, and protein S) were excluded from the analysis, the ORs increased for all patients (6.6 for FV:Ag (95%CI, 2.4-18.3) and 7.4 for FV:PL-bound (95%CI, 2.7-20.3). Moreover, twenty-one (17%) of the 123 DVT patients, and 1 (1%) of 100 control subjects had values below the cutoff points for both FV:Ag and FV:PL-bound, and the OR was 21.6 (95%CI, 2.85-163.1).

Conclusions

These results suggest that low levels of factor V are associated with development of DVT, and may be a predictor for DVT.